3 candidates but to me the most logical choice is Howry. Marmol too valuable from the 6th-8th. Sometimes you have to "save" a game in those innings and Marmol is perfect for those innings. Howry is your 9th inning guy.

i would choose marmol and bring him in like 1/3rd or 2/3ds in to the 8th

I believe Howry has proven himself to be a successfull reliever who, for whatever reason, does not transition to closer very well.

Would like to try Marmol. He seems to have the highest ceiling.

His issues did not seem to be physical, more mental.

I think the guy just needs some time to close and get comfortable and I would like to see that time be NOW, not during the season.

Howry looks like he can close, I agree, so he is wlays there if MArmol just becomes the next Latroy

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I think Marmol is the man. We have plenty of quality arms that should be able to get us through the middle to late innings. Then close the door!

One thing that I love is that Lou P. is not afraid to tinker and he will do what is best for the club. If something is not working...he makes changes. With three potential options at closer...he will find what works best.

Marmol is the guy. Maybe you could use a Howry/Marmol combo early to work Marmol into it but by June he needs to be the closer.

I have no more confidence in Howry being the closer than I did in Dempster.

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i agree. marmol has a rubber arm, and can pitch more than one inning when needed. i would like him to stay in the same role - saving games in big situations in the 6th, 7th and 8th.

Wasn't Dempster fairly successful closing games out last year? Why are the Cubs going thru all this change?

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His level of success and my level of confidence in him may have been mutually exclusive. But an ERA of around 5 is not what I would be looking for.

I want a closer with electric, unhittable stuff. There's room for crafty guys but they don't instill confidence in me.

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I just want someone who gets the job done.
Saved 28 of 31. EXTREMELY successful, IMHO. Nothing wrong with that amount of success.

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16 losses and 12 blown saves the past 2 years with an ERA of 4.75-4.80 is not successful to me.

I'm a Cub fan. I have high expectations.

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one of marmols amazing abilities last season was his ability to get out of jams without allowing inherited runners to score. to me, that ability is best used in the 7th and 8th, and is wasted a bit if he moves into a designated "closer's" role, where on most occasions, he will be starting an inning. i love marmol as that superman reliever that can close the door on rallies in mid-to-late innings, and i will take may chances with someone else starting the 9th fresh with a 1 or 2 run lead. right now, i'd put howry in that role, and see what happens. if things go badly, you can always change your mind and move marmol back there if it is a glaring problem.

I am drooling over having a closer close out 28 of 31. That's awesome. Cannot believe you don't see the success in that.
CONTRAST that to the fact this guy hasn't started in what, 5 years? He shows talent in the closer spot, why mess with that.

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being a closer is a different mentallity than being a reliever. you have to have a short memory cause closere throw everyday. releivers dont always go everyday. so maybe howry just doesnt have a short memory.

As internet arguments often do, I got swept up a little in the excitement. My original statement was that I don't/didn't have confidence in him.

To summarize his year last year, he had 66 appearances, 7 losses, plus 1 blown save where he didn't get the loss and 5 actual saves where he gave up runs. I would call that 13 failures out of 66, about 20% of the time. That doesn't even count games that he gave up runs where the Cub was already behind or he didn't get the loss in.

He blew up last year in September. I took a look again, 15 outings and he gave up runs in 9 of those. No closer that gives up runs in over half their outings over a month long period instills a great deal of confidence in me as someone who can be relied upon when it counts.

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Here's another interesting fact, I think, from looking at the 2007 game log: From what I can derive from the log, Dempster saved a grand total of 7 games last year where he came in with a 1 run lead and saved it.

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Hey Doc, we can summarize Dempster as a bend but don't break closer. Sure did give up runs, and he did indeed save 28 or 31. That's pretty successful. Sure, he aggrivated my heart condition, but he did get it done.
I don't care if he gives up a run in a 2 run game. i care if he gives up 2 or more, and last year he only blew 3 saves.
With no on-roster pitcher showing that much success in the past or clear future potential, and with Dempster 5 years removed from the starting rotation, I don't see why this is enen being pondered. What is the point? To have questionmarks at two positions instead of 1?
It is like Pinella has to make one bonehead managerial decision before the season starts every year (last year being the centerfield mess).

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I guess this is where we disagree then. I'd say, yes, if we didn't have a clear cut closer type to put there, leave Dempster, he's had some limited success. But, Marmol is definitely closer material and would be far superior to Dempster unless he has mental breakdowns in the role. His stuff is far superior.

Marmol is 25, wicked stuff, 1.43 ERA last year. If we signed a FA like this, people would be talking Cy Young for the guy, not whether he should be a setup man.

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I see where you're coming from Kenny, but I am not ready to hand the keys to Marmol yet. Sure he excelled in setup roled last season, but let's not forget his age and experience. marmol was a surprise last year, an unknown quality coming into the league with 1 real good pitch and a couple above average ones. Let's see where his sophmore year really takes him. He's too young to handle consistant closer situations, I think.

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If you want to keep arguing, I'll let you know my choices for closer would be in this order -

1. Marmol
2. Wood
3. Howry
4. Bruce Sutter
5. Dempster

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Who's arguing?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
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I see one problem with this list. I don't think Dempster will even get a shot at the position...

the other problem with howry is that his off speed pitches arent very good

frankly, with this starting staff, im thinking the game will be on the line a lot in the 6th and the 7th than the 8th and 9th. saving marmol, who last year was your best guy getting out of jams, to come in in only 9th inning save situations seems like a waste of talent. to me the closer position is a bit over-rated. id rather have my best guy come in in the 7th and snuff out a rally when we need it, than sit in the pen and wait for a save situation or until it is too late. marmol PROVED he can go 2 solid innings over and over, get big outs with men in scoring position, and be successful. i think handing him the closer's role is a mistake.

dempster is not a great closer, and from what it sounds like, he isnt going to be doing it this year anyway, but i woud rather have howry or dempster or wood come in with the bases empty in a save situation in the top of the 9th than come in with 2 on and 2 out in the 7th or 8th of a tight game. saving your best guy for a save situation that may never come has always seemed a waste to me.